Chapter 73 Worry at Wonderland.
“She’s
been gone for a day and half” Barry said.
He was worried. There was no
getting around it. He knew concern had
knit new furrows in his face. He looked
at Jackie, she looked pretty worried too.
All
across the multiverse, reports came in just before their sources went silent
that yet another Marie Brabant had been killed in what seemed to be some kind
of assault on the other versions of the Chateau. They were dropping like flies. Then they got the news that one, or at least
one, of the Marie’s was a Toxie agent and had killed hundreds of other
Maries. He would not leave the Egg room,
except when it was his turn to man the Mawacky.
He would just stare at the space where the Egg had been and longed for
it to return. He wasn’t religious, but
he wished he was so he could at least pray to God for her safe return. He couldn’t imagine that if there was a God,
such a being would be inclined to grant the prayers of someone who as a point
of intellectual pride, didn’t believe in God.
“Yes,
Barry, we know. But, there’s nothing we
can do about it but wait and hope.” Jackie was trying to be rational.
Luke
came into the room. “You two are going
to want to come in here. Jenkins wants
everyone, the whole team assembled in the Freezer, we’re getting a message.”
“A
message? From who,” asked Jackie.
“From
Wally.”
Everyone was gathered around the large
computer screen in the Freezer room. On
the screen a refreshed and calm looking Wallace Patel appeared with a mildly
impatient expression adorning his features.
“About
time,” his voice came over the speaker. “Where’s
Marie?” His attention was directed only
on Barry. “I wanted her to hear this,
even more than I wanted Stan and Jenkins to.”
“She’s
in the bathroom,” said Barry, trying to sound bored.
“Away
visiting old hippies, most likely. How’s
the head, Barry? Sorry about the nasty
thump I gave you with my gun handle, but you know how it is.”
“It’s
fine, Wally. How’s the jaw?”
“Completely
healed, my Masters can heal all ailments in seconds.”
“And
I assume you weaseled your way out of police custody with their help as well?”
“Correct,
We control the local constabulary at this time. It was a mere formality, they escorted me to
the station, I relayed them orders, no paper work filed. It’s nice to own the police. I see why your criminals like to do it.”
Stan
had gotten impatient, “What the hell is this about, Patel?”
“Ah,
dear Stan, still can’t control yourself, I see.
Rian, you should leash your dog.
And you…” he redirected his attention to Barry, you look awfully
worried, Bar…oh, don’t tell me…your Marie hasn’t returned from her last trip
yet? You lost her on her second
trip? My, my, you should be more careful
with your Marie Brabants…I hear they’re going extinct at an alarming rate.”
That said,”
He directed his attention over the whole group.
“If she does come back…we are hoping there won’t be a next time. And we are prepared to make you an offer
along those lines.”
“What
do you have to offer us?” said Rian Jenkins sternly and tersely, “And why
should we trust anything you have to say?”
“Look! He speaks!
Will wonders never cease. I don’t
think I heard you say that many words in my four years working under you,
Rian.” Patel laughed at his own humor.
“We
are prepared to offer you your lives, and we are even prepared to allow you to
continue your work with the Freezer and Mawacky. We only ask that you discontinue working with
the Egg and with your Ms Brabant. Other versions of your gang of misfit
scientists have already mocked up the Multiverse enough. We are drawing a line here. It ends now.
Or you do.”
“Brave
words,” Stan nearly shouted, “We have you blocked from the mountain…you can’t
touch us here.”
“Haven’t
you gotten the news? In countless
universes, chateaus just exactly like this one with people exactly like you are
falling to us. So, you should revise
your expectations of what we can and can’t do. If you continue with your experiments, you’ll
find out exactly what We are capable of.
If you continue your present course, you will all die horrible, painful
deaths. And, I’ll remind you…you all
have family’s that aren’t on your mountain, or most of you do. We will torture them to death first, and then
we will storm your mountain and your castle, and make you pray for death. We will take you to the very edge of it, heal
you, and do it again and again…forever.
This is Our warning. I recommend
you heed it. Discontinue your work with
the Egg, and send our Ms. Brabant from your fortress of ineptitude when and if
she returns..by…tomorrow…or We will come and get her Ourselves, and make your
lives hell itself for all eternity. Have
a nice day.”
“What
if she doesn’t come back?” asked Stan.
“Then,
my dear Stan, you will have yourselves a problem.”
And with that, the screen went blank.
The room erupted in many voices talking at
once, many loud and concerned. It was
boisterous chaos, a cacophony of anguish and worry, defiance and abject
cowardice.
“We have to give in” said one voice, though
Barry couldn’t pin down exactly who said it.
“Never!” another shouted back, the speaker
again unknown do the vocal chaos exploding within the room.
“Shut up, Everyone!” Renee shouted. “This isn’t helping.”
The fearful and courageous shouting quickly
faded into a murmur and all turned to look at him.
“Quite right, Renee,” said Jenkins “Don’t
you think, this is exactly what Patel was trying to accomplish? With a few threats, we’re at each others’
throats.”
Even the murmuring fell quiet.
“Hey shouted,” Luke, “We got an Egg coming
back! Marie’s coming back.”
“A Marie is coming back, she might not be
our Marie, and she could be the evil Marie,” Jenkins pointed out. Barry hated him for it, in that second, but
he knew he was right. “Someone get a gun
and cover the Egg until we can sort this mess out.”
copyright 2017 Diana Hignutt
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